This. Was. Madness.Houston Beats Duke.
The Final Four delivered a basketball classic no one will ever forget as Houston beats Duke March Madness-style in an absolutely insane, last-second comeback, knocking off the heavily favored Blue Devils 70-67 and punching their ticket to the national championship game.
Down 14 with eight minutes left. Dead in the water.
And thenโฆ the Cougars unleashed chaos.
In a stretch that will go down as one of the greatest moments in NCAA Tournament history, Houston closed the game on an 11-1 run, stunned Cooper Flagg and Duke, and advanced to the title game for the first time since the Phi Slama Jama era.
โWe donโt stop,โ said Houston star LJ Cryer, who dropped 26 points in the win. โWe believe. And tonight, we made believers out of everyone.โ
A Comeback for the Ages
With three minutes left, Duke looked like they had one foot in Monday nightโs title game. Flagg had just nailed a triple to push the lead to nine, and Houstonโs offense looked gassed.
Then? Pandemonium.
Houston ratcheted up the defense, started ripping the ball away, crashing the boards, and creating chaos on every possession. Duke didnโt score a single field goal in the last 10.5 minutes.
Let that sink in: The Blue Devils scored one field goal in the final ten and a half minutes.
And Houston? They turned into wolves.
The Final Minute: 11โ1 Run Turns the Game Upside Down
With just under a minute to go, Houston was still down by four. Then came the final flurry:
- JโWan Roberts blocked Cooper Flaggโs runner in the lane
- Roberts hit two clutch free throws to give Houston their first lead since 6-5
- LJ Cryer sank two more, pushing the lead to three
- Duke panicked, and Tyrese Proctorโs final shot at the buzzer didnโt even touch the rim
Game over. Dreams crushed. Houston roars.
โItโs what we do,โ said Houston coach Kelvin Sampson. โWe close. We hunt. We kill.โ
The โKill Stopโ That Sealed It
Houston has a motto. Three stops in a row is called a โkill.โ
Well, they killed Dukeโs hopes with a kill so vicious, even the Blue Devils couldnโt believe it.
Duke managed only three free throws in the last 7 minutes. Zero field goals. Thatโs the stuff of nightmares.
Meanwhile, Joseph Tugler was a menace inside. He had four blocks, altered countless others, and shut down the paint with ferocity.
โWe live for that,โ Tugler said. โDefense is our language. And tonight, we spoke loud.โ
Cooper Flaggโs Heroics Not Enough
Letโs be clearโFlagg played his heart out.
The freshman phenom poured in 27 points and carried Duke for most of the night. But when it mattered most, Houston clamped down and made sure he didnโt see the rim again.
- Flaggโs final made field goal came with 3:02 left
- He shot 8-for-19 from the floor
- He was blocked in the clutch
- He never got a clean look after Houstonโs defensive switch
โWe didnโt care who he was,โ said Cryer. โHeโs a great player, but this is war.โ
A Tale of Two Halves
This game had everything:
- Early dominance from Duke
- A back-and-forth battle in the second half
- And thenโฆ the Houston hurricane in the final 8 minutes
Duke led by double digits most of the night. But Houstonโgritty, grimy, relentless Houstonโjust kept chipping away, pressuring the ball, and believing.
โWe get three stops, we win,โ said Sampson. โAnd we got a lot more than three.โ
The Other Final Four Game: Florida Punches Their Ticket
Before Houston and Duke lit the world on fire, Florida had already booked their spot in the NCAA championship game.
The Gators took down Auburn 79-73 in a high-speed, high-scoring affair that had everything March fans love:
- Dunks
- Threes
- Lead changes
- And a clutch finish
It was the opposite of the Houston-Duke street fight. But it sets up a juicy Monday night title clash:
? Florida vs. Houston
Monday Night โ NCAA National Championship
First Time for Everything: Houstonโs Title Shot
The Cougars have never won an NCAA menโs basketball championshipโnot even in the days of Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler.
Phi Slama Jama? Heartbreak.
Kelvin Sampsonโs previous runs? Short.
But this? This might be the year Houston finally cuts down the nets.
โWeโre not done,โ said Sampson. โWe didnโt come here for a semifinal trophy.โ
Cryer the Closer
LJ Cryer was the man all night. He scored from deep, attacked the basket, and hit the most important free throws of his career.
- 26 points
- 4 assists
- Unflappable in the clutch
โI wanted the ball,โ Cryer said. โI wanted the moment.โ
He took it. And now? Heโs one win from immortality.
Joseph Tugler: The Paint Enforcer
Tugler may not be a household nameโyet. But he made Cooper Flaggโs life miserable down the stretch and owned the rim.
- 4 blocks
- Countless altered shots
- Endless hustle
This was a March Madness coming-out party for Tugler, and heโll be a name to remember for years to come.
Kelvin Sampson: The Culture King
If Houston wins it all, Kelvin Sampson deserves a statue.
Heโs built a program on defense, toughness, and attitudeโand now heโs one game away from a ring.
โWeโre built for this,โ Sampson said. โWeโve been building this for years. Now itโs our time.โ
Monday Night Madness: Houston vs. Florida Title Showdown
Get ready for a battle.
Florida is flying high after beating Auburn. Theyโve got shooters, speed, and swagger.
But Houston? Houston is a machine. And after what they just did to Duke, no oneโs counting them out.
Houston Beats Duke March Madness Classic and Heads to the Title Game
In a finish that fans will replay for decades, Houston beats Duke March Madness-style with grit, heart, and a closing run for the ages.
They erased a 14-point hole.
They suffocated one of the most hyped freshmen in the game.
And they got their revenge for years of heartbreak.
And now? Theyโre one win from glory.
